People may have surgical wounds resulting from various medical procedures. For example, large incisions are made into the skin for exploratory surgery or the removal of tissue. People may have skin ulcers from various causes. Accidental injuries are sometimes repaired with stitches extending over large sections of the skin. Wounds result from injuries on a battlefield. In addition, wounds can result from surgically implanted, indwelling catheters used in connection with a variety of procedures. Many diabetic patients use indwelling catheters for delivering insulin. Patients undergoing long term chemotherapy also may have an indwelling catheter. Peritoneal dialysis patients use an indwelling peritoneal catheter for delivering dialysis fluid. All of these wounds require proper care to avoid infection and to facilitate healing.
Protection of the wound is a significant daily task for these people. Infection of the wound must be avoided to prevent unintended complications. Traditional coverings for post-surgical wounds include bandages and gauze. One problem with these traditional coverings is the requirement that the coverings be frequently changed. Another problem is injury to the wound site caused by removal of the covering. Other problems include increased risk of infection and maceration of the skin due to continuous exposure to moisture. The wounds need to be covered to keep the wound clean, dry and infection free. Generally, when a person with a surgical wound dressing wants to swim, shower or bathe, the person tries to protect the wound site against moisture by using makeshift plastic covers taped over the exposed wound. These makeshift covers often fail to work, allowing moisture to enter the wound site. They are not designed to affirmatively repel or divert moisture away from the wound site. Usually, the person does not even know whether leakage has occurred until it is too late. These makeshift covers are simply inadequate to protect the wound site against moisture and the risk of serious infection. If the covering leaks and the dressing becomes wet the dressing must be replaced so as not to inhibit healing of a wound covered by the dressing and/or to inhibit infection. Moisture can support the growth of harmful or infectious bacteria in and around the site.
The need exists for a moisture-proof barrier for use by people who must use indwelling catheters or have other wounds to prevent infection due to exposure to external sources of moisture. The need also exists for a wound covering which will absorb fluids from the wound site, but will keep the wound site dry.